August 2009:NASCAR Now became first ESPN program to air live from the White House. President Obama joined host Nicole Briscoe and analyst Brad Daugherty.
March 2011: First Lady Michelle Obama and Chicago Blackhawks captain John Toews (R) are interviewed by ESPN’s Steve Levy in the East Garden of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
March 2011: President Barack Obama fills out his 2011 Men’s NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament bracket during an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
March 2011: President Barack Obama fills out his 2011 Women’s NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament bracket during an interview with ESPN’s Doris Burke in the White House Library. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
November 2011: (L to R) First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama applaud during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic on the USS Carl Vinson. (Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)
July 2015: First Lady Michelle Obama declares the Special Olympics World Games open during the Opening Ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Mike Stocker for ESPN)
March 2016: In Havana, Cuba, (L-R, holding mics) Doug Glanville, Eduardo Perez, President Barack Obama and Karl Ravech talk baseball. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
May 2016: First Lady Michelle Obama participates in the Opening Ceremony for the Invictus Games. (Scott Clarke/ESPN Images)
May 2016: VP Joe Biden (far left), Jill Biden and HRH Prince Harry (far right) attend the Invictus Games.
(Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
July 2016: At the ESPYS, Craig Sager (L) greets VP Joe Biden backstage. On stage, Biden presented Sager with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. (Scott Clarke/ ESPN Images)
October 2016: President Obama greets the audience after “A Conversation with The President”; ESPN President John Skipper observes. (Brent Lewis/ESPN Images)
October 2016: At North Carolina A&T, President Barack Obama addresses the crowd during “The Undefeated Presents: A Conversation with The President.” (Brent Lewis/ ESPN Images)
A tribute to the sports fandom and involvement of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama and a special edition of The Jump will highlight ESPN programming in observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16.
The observance, which includes programming Sunday, Jan. 15, will continue in the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter on MLK Day with segments saluting the “First Fan” only a few days before he leaves the presidency, ending his historic eight years as the first African-American to hold the office. Michael Eaves will anchor the program.
Front Row shares a sampling of ESPN Images and official White House photos capturing President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden attending various events covered by ESPN. Before Obama became president, he was featured in a 2006 opening to ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Kimberly Jarvis, Andy Hall and Bill Hofheimer contributed to this post.
